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Biomedical subjects

J Costello

Publications and source records attributed to J Costello.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

Nocturnal and morning asthma. Relationship to plasma corticosteroids and response to cortisol infusion.

Nocturnal and early morning breathlessness is a common and important symptom in asthmatic patients. Six patients in whom these symptoms were a major clinical problem have been studied by serial measurements of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and plasma corticosteroids over two 24-hour periods. Although PEFR and plasma corticosteroids are lowest during the night or early morning, preventing the nocturnal fall in plasma corticosteroids by cortisol infusion did not prevent the fall in PEFR in five out of the six patients. The circadian rhythm of corticosteroid secretion does not appear to be the main cause of nocturnal and early morning asthma.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1975

Effect of atropine on sputum production.

The effect of atropine on sputum production has been studied in patients with asthama, chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis in some of whom there was bronchorrhoea. In three patients a reduction in sputum volume was observed after atropine but it would seem that the decrease was mainly due to the inhibitory effect on salivary secretion which facilitates spitting. The one patient treated with long-term oral atropine showed a marked reduction in sputum volume although chemical constituents and viscosity levels remained unchanged, suggesting that in this case atropine had an inhibitory effect on bronchial gland secretion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Mortality from heart disease in coal miners.

A study of 3,726 Appalachian coal miners was undertaken to determine the standard mortality ratio (SMR) for heart disease and to ascertain the effect of smoking, excess weight, and the level of physical activity on deaths due to this cause, SMR's were calculated for all forms of heart disease and also separately for ischemic heart disease. For heart disease as a whole, SMR's of 73 for working and 104 for nonworking miners were obtained. It was found in both working and nonworking miners that obese smokers had the greatest risk of dying of heart disease (SMR's of 142 and 144, respectively). In the nonsupervisory underground work categories of face, transportation, and maintenance, an increase of SMR was observed, with face having the lowest and maintenance workers having the highest SMR. Use of all men from seven Appalachian states vs all US men as a standard population tended to slightly reduce the calculated SMR's.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1973

Glucose utilization and production by the dog kidney in vivo in metabolic acidosis and alkalosis.

Using D-[1-(14)C]glucose as a tracer, renal glucose utilization and production was measured in chronic metabolic acidosis and alkalosis in dog kidney in vivo. In six experiments in acidosis, mean total renal glucose production was 4.447+/-1.655 SE mumol/min and glucose utilization was 4.187+/-0.576 SE mumol/min. In five alkalotic experiments it was found that mean total glucose production was 12.227+/-2.026 SE mumol/min and glucose utilization was 18.186+/-2.054 SE mumol/min. Renal glucose utilization and production are therefore significantly higher in alkalosis than in acidosis in vivo. Since glucose production is maximal under conditions when glutamine extraction is minimal (i.e. alkalosis), it is apparent that in alkalosis glutamine is not a major precursor of glucose.

Acidosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Morbidity survey of U.S. oil shale workers employed during 1948-1969.

The health status of 325 oil shale workers employed at the Anvil Points, Colorado, demonstration facility from 1948 to 1969 was evaluated. As a comparison population, 323 Utah coal miners frequency matched for age were studied. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms among oil shale workers who smoked were similar to the coal miners who smoked, although nonsmoking oil shale workers had fewer symptoms compared to nonsmoking coal workers. Four cases of skin cancers were found on the oil shale workers and eight cases in the controls. Similar numbers of nevi, telangiectasiae, possible pitch warts, pigment changes (solar/senile lentigo), and papillomata (seborrheic keratoses and skin tags) were seen in both groups, while actinic keratoses were more frequent in the oil shale workers. The prevalence of actinic keratoses was significantly associated with oil shale work after allowing for age, sun exposure, and other exposures. The prevalence of pulmonary cytology metaplasia was associated with years of production work in oil shale among both smokers and exsmokers. More of the oil shale workers had atypical cells in the urine, but the excess was mostly found among exsmokers. Although these workers had short-term and limited oil shale exposure work exposure, we recommend that medical surveillance of oil shale workers consider the skin, respiratory, and urinary systems for special observation.

Coal Mining↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Silicosis and lung cancer in U.S. metal miners.

The association between silicosis and lung cancer mortality was estimated in 9,912 (369 silicotics and 9,543 nonsilicotics) white male metal miners. These miners were examined by the U.S. Public Health Service during 1959-1961 and were followed through 1975. Miners were excluded from this study if they were employed in a mine during 1959-1961 that used diesel equipment underground. The ores that were mined consisted of copper, lead-zinc, iron, mercury, lead silver, gold and gold-silver, tungsten, and molybenum. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR, U.S. white male rates) for lung cancer was 1.73 (95% CI: .94-2.90) in silicotics and 1.18 (95% CI: .98-1.42) in nonsilicotics. Additionally, SMRs were higher in silicotics than in nonsilicotics, even in most subgroups stratified by cigarette smoking habit, type of ore mined, years of service in an underground job, radon exposure group, or year of hire. When lung cancer mortality between silicotics and nonsilicotics was compared, the age-adjusted rate ratio (95% CI) was 1.56 (.91-2.68), and the age- and smoking-adjusted rate ratio was 1.96 (.98-3.67). Corresponding figures for miners who were employed in mines with low levels of radon exposure were 1.90 (.98-3.67) and 2.59 (1.44-4.68), respectively. These findings indicate that lung cancer mortality risk was increased in silicotics, and this probably did not result from chance or bias. However, confounding from radon exposure could not be ruled out. The findings indicate that further follow-up of this cohort is needed.

Bias↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Acknowledging loss.

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Aged↗